Interactive

UPDATE 2pm UK: A spokesperson for Lost Boys Interactive has confirmed the layoffs to Eurogamer.

Lost Boys Interactive appears to be the latest developer to suffer heavy layoffs.

A number of employees at the Embracer-owned studio Lost Boys Interactive have reported on LinkedIn and Twitter / X that they've been laid off from their jobs.

The early months of 2023 saw Embracer Group failing to close a $2 billion deal with Saudia Arabia’s Savvy Games Group, following which the company initiated a restructuring program that would entail layoffs, project cancellations, and studio closures. Sadly, Embracer Group’s continued efforts to stabilize its financial situation have come at the cost of a staggering number of company-wide cuts, and that’s something that’s continued into the new year.

An unknown number of employees have been laid off at Gearbox-owned developer Lost Boys Interactive.

Half Mermaid Productions has announced thatImmortality, its interactive movie trilogy, is finally coming to PlayStation 5 on January 23.

Sam Barlow's Immortality — an epic mystery of self-reference and cinema — is coming to PlayStation 5 later this motnh

Single-player action-adventure game Jurassic Park: Survival has been announced at The Game Awards.

New World Interactive has become the latest studio owned by Embracer Group to suffer a round of layoffs.

Another studio has fallen afoul of Embracer Group's comprehensive restructuring plan, with an unknown number of layoffs being confirmed at New World Interactive, the developer behind the Insurgency series of tactical first-person shooters.

If you're into gaming history, retro collections, or both, you'll no doubt have checked out Digital Eclipse's awesome docu-games in recent years. The Making of Karateka was the studio's most recent, and the first in its new Gold Master Series — games that double as comprehensive, interactive documentaries. It's just announced the next in this series — Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story.

Influential British developer Jeff Minter, whose four-decade career spans the likes of Tempest 2000, Polybius, Space Giraffe and Revenge of the Mutant Camels, will be the focus of the next interactive documentary from the folks behind the roundly excellent Making of Karateka and Atari 50.

Digital Eclipse has revealed the next interactive documentary it will be be releasing after The Making of Karateka’s success, titled. It is set to debut on consoles and PC in 2024.

The second game in Digital Eclipse’s critically acclaimed Gold Master Series is based on one of the most influential British game designers, Jeff Minter.

Sweden's Embracer Group has shut down Insurgency developer New World Interactive.

New World Interactive has been hit with layoffs amid Embracer Group's restructuring program. 

Insurgency developer New World Interactive are the latest Embracer Group-owned studio to lay off staff, as part of the Swedish conglomerate's efforts to reduce their debts after a series of reckless studio acquisitions. It's not clear how many people have been affected, but New World Interactive's direct corporate parent Saber Interactive have revealed that one unannounced project has been cancelled.

Saber Interactive, a division of Embracer Group, has confirmed that it has laid off employees at its New World Interactive studio, the developer of Insurgency: Sandstorm.

The latest studio to be affected by Embracer's «comprehensive restructuring programme» is Insurgency and Day of Infamy developer New World Interactive.

Embracer has confirmed that layoffs are ongoing at Insurgency: Sandstorm developer New World Interactive.

Saber Interactive subsidiary New World Interactive has experienced layoffs, affected by Embracer's ongoing restructuring program.

Yesterday, Nick Calandra first circulated the rumor that the Embracer Group had closed down New World Interactive. The rumor was then corroborated by Insider Gaming, although a Saber Interactive spokesperson later clarified the studio was being restructured, not shut down.

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After rumors last year about NCSoft working on an MMO based on Guerrilla’s Horizon series, Sony Interactive Entertainment has announced a strategic global business partnership with the publisher. The partnership will see both companies collaborating in “various global business fields, including mobile” and fostering “strategic synergy.”

Sony Interactive Entertainment and NCSoft have announced a new “strategic partnership” that will cover “various global business fields, including mobile”. 

Sony Interactive Entertainment has signed a strategic global business partnership with Korean publisher and developer NCSOFT, the companies announced.

Take-Two Interactive and 2K Games are facing a class action lawsuit accusing the company of theft and unlawful business practices, due to virtual currency becoming non-transferrable in its games once servers for previous titles are deactivated.

The Knights of the Old Republic remake is still being worked on by at least two developers at Saber Interactive, it’s claimed.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old – Republic has been caught in a vortex of behind-the-scenes drama ever since its announcement, with the project having been taken off developer Aspyr Media and handed over to Saber Interactive last year, along with being hit with an indefinite delay. Recently, journalist Jeff Grubb claimed, however, that development on the remake had stopped altogether, even at Saber, throwing into question whether the title will ever see the light of day.

The Sims 5: Project Rene, a highly anticipated title amongst the franchise's fans, is expected to feature multiplayer mechanics inspired by the popular Animal Crossing.

Cozy game, interior decorating app, learn-to-code primer or something in between, the interactive, 3D spaces builder known as Rooms has made its way to the App Store. The startup, which earlier raised $10 million in seed funding led by a16z, offers a way to design 3D spaces — its “rooms” — that are filled with furniture, décor, pets and tiny avatars. You can turn those rooms into mini-games, if you prefer.

The long-suffering Silent Hill fandom will be getting a slight reprise, as the much-maligned “interactive series” Silent Hill: Ascension is making some changes based on community feedback. 

Annapurna, a maker of independent games and entertainment, has taken a strategic leap forward by acquiring 24 Bit Games, one of South Africa’s most successful game companies.

Annapurna Interactive has acquired South Africa-based 24 Bit Games, the company announced. It is the first ever acquisition by the publisher.

G-Star 2023 is now in full swing at the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center, running from today through this Sunday, and NCSOFT has a big presence there.

Vampire: The Masquerade — Bloodlines 2 is getting a new playable clan named the Tremere.

Geometric Interactive, the developer behind indie puzzler Cocoon, has won the Breakthrough Award at the Golden Joystick Awards 2023 powered by Intel.

It might be strange to recall after Hitman 3's stonking success, but series developer IO Interactive was in a very precarious situation not so long ago. When 2016's Hitman failed to please IOI's owners at Square Enix, the corporation began scrabbling around looking for someone to take the studio of its hands. 

Hitman developer IO Interactive is working on a James Bond game that it says is going to be a new origin story for the titular character, but does the studio intend to follow up on that origin story with sequels? That certainly seems to be a plan.

Alan Wake 2 has been out for over a week now, and it’s already become the topic of many a watercooler conversation here at Polygon. The long-anticipated follow-up is a top-to-bottom redesign of Remedy Entertainment’s 2010 action-horror game, introducing new puzzle and combat conceits and the parallel campaigns of protagonists Saga Anderson and Alan Wake.

While IO Interactive continues to support Hitman World of Assassination, it’s also working on other projects, including fantasy RPG Project Dragon and Project 007. The latter is based on James Bond and serves as an origin story for the fictional spy. While few details are known about the gameplay (aside from potentially having sandbox storytelling akin to Hitman), IO Interactive says it will be “the ultimate spycraft fantasy.”

Sony Interactive Entertainment has entered into an agreement to acquire iSIZE, a London-based company specializing in deep learning for video delivery, the company announced.

The series premiere of Silent Hill: Ascension starts tonight.

iam8bit and Annapurna Interactive have announced Annapurna Interactive Deluxe Limited Edition Collection for Switch, which includes 12 titles on a single cartridge for $199.99. It is limited to 2,500 copies. Pre-orders are available now at the iam8bit online store.

With the recently-released The Lamplighters League and the Tower at the End of the World reportedly a financial disappointment for Paradox interactive, the company and developer Harebrained Schemes have announced they will part ways as of January 1st.

Paradox Interactive and Harebrained Schemes have come to a mutual agreement to separate, letting the Shadowrun, BattleTech and The Lamplighters League developer regain its independence.

It was only back in 2018 that Paradox Interactive announced the acquisition of Shadowrun and BattleTech studio Harebrained Schemes in a deal worth $7.5 million, though in the immediate aftermath of their very first release together since the acquisition, it seems like their partnership is coming to an abrupt end.

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Paradox Interactive and Harebrained Schemes have come to a mutual agreement to separate, letting the Shadowrun, BattleTech and The Lamplighters League developer regain its independence.

Paradox Interactive and Harebrained Schemes have announced that the two companies will be parting ways. This comes after Paradox expressed disappointment with the performance of The Lamplighters League. Paradox had acquired the company in 2018.

Paradox Interactive and Seattle-based developer Harebrained Schemes will part ways on January 1, 2024, the companies announced. This means Harebrained Schemes will become an independent studio, and no longer be a subsidiary of Paradox Interactive.

Genvid Entertainment and Konami Digital Entertainment said the interactive streaming series Silent Hill: Ascension will debut on Halloween.

Konami’s revival of the Silent Hill franchise kicks off with a new project called Silent Hill: Ascension on Oct. 31, giving horror fans some fresh Halloween night entertainment. The interactive streaming series will let viewers decide the fate of its protagonists as they confront their painful pasts and discover what has brought them into the foggy, terrifying world of Silent Hill.

Cities: Skylines 2 is scheduled to launch on PC on October 24, but just over one week before the release developer Paradox Interactive has come forward to share that the state of the game might not be quite up to scratch. 

Just a week after the game’s release, Paradox Interactive has disclosed that they are writing down the development costs for The Lamplighters League after disappointing sales at launch. All of the game’s development will be noted down as costs in this quarter, meaning that there will be a hefty 248 million Swedish kronor—roughly $22.8 million – dent on profits for the quarter.

The Lamplighters League is the latest project from developer Harebrained Schemes, which was released last week to a rather lukewarm critical and commercial reception. Now publisher Paradox Interactive has released a press statement detailing its stance on the game’s financials.

There are currently three Silent Hill games we know about in the works. There's Bloober Team's remake of Silent Hill 2, a prequel set in Japan called Silent Hill F, and No Code's Silent Hill: Townfall. But there's also a game-adjacent project called Silent Hill: Ascension being made by Genvid Entertainment, an interactive streaming series where viewers can vote to decide how parts of the story turn out.

Despite offering a more condensed experience, Assassin’s Creed Mirage’s vast and vibrant city of Baghdad is teeming with things to find and explore. Quests and Contracts, Gear Chests, Enigmas, Historical Sites, and even Mysterious Shards are just some of the many things scattered across the city to uncover.

SILENT HILL: Ascension will be released on October 31st, as Genvid Entertainment and KONAMI announced today.

My most anticipated game for this year is almost here with Spider-Man 2, and to help celebrate the launch, Sony Interactive Entertainment is proud to debut and share its new cinematic spot for the latest adventure in the critically acclaimed Marvel’s Spider-Man franchise. Spider-Men, Peter Parker and Miles Morales, will face the ultimate test of strength inside and outside the mask as they fight to save the city, each other and the ones they love.

The first of Konami's comeback titles for the Silent Hill series, Silent Hill: Ascension, will begin at the end of this month according to app store listings.

Unpack your sniper rifle and garrote, folks, as we have some exciting news for you. Feral Interactive, the team behind the excellent mobile ports of XCOM 2, Rome: Total War, and Grid Autosport is at it again. This time, it’s the murderous classic, Hitman: Blood Money.

IO Interactive has announced a series of events for HITMAN World of Assassination set to occur in October in celebration of IO Interactive’s 25th anniversary.

Yes, you read the headline correctly. The PUBG Mobile x KFC collaboration is real – and it’s happening right now. Running from October 2 to November 6, you can dive into the action-packed game to visit KFC Royale restaurants.

Paradox Interactive and recently-founded studio Channel 3 Entertainment, have announced a publishing partnership for Foundry, a factory-building game that looks set to take on Factorio and Satisfactory.

Paradox Interactive announced today that the company will publish Foundry, a factory-building sandbox simulation game by Channel 3 Entertainment. In Foundry, players are tasked with using their imagination to build an efficient factory in a procedurally-generated sandbox. Prior to the announcement, Foundry had climbed to the top of itch.io as a top-selling game. The game can be compared to similar factory-building titles like Satisfactory and Factorio. Players start at the bottom of the technological totem pole, having to manually mine and process resources. Eventually, you unlock the ability to craft new machinery, develop technologies, and automate your entire production line.

Paradox Interactive will publish Channel 3 Entertainment-developed first-person factory building sandbox simulation game FOUNDRY for PC (Steam), the companies announced. A new demo will be available during Steam Next Fest: Fall 2023 from October 9 to 16.

Paradox Interactive and recently-founded studio Channel 3 Entertainment, have announced a publishing partnership for Foundry, a factory-building game that looks set to take on Factorio and Satisfactory.

Sony Interactive President Jim Ryan—the man who's led Sony's PlayStation division since 2019, is stepping down from his role as president and retiring from the company.

Sony Interactive Entertainment president and CEO Jim Ryan will retire in March 2024 after nearly 30 years with the PlayStation business, the company announced.

Publisher Paradox Interactive and developer C Prompt Games have announced Millennia, a turn-based strategy game in which you will lead a nation of your own design through thousands of years of history. It will launch for PC via Steam in 2024.

Xbox has made significant acquisitions this generation, like its $7.5 billion purchase of ZeniMax Media and its colossal $69 billion Activision Blizzard acquisition. Xbox and Microsoft spent a lot of time this year in courts working to get its purchase of Activision Blizzard legally approved, and many documents were sealed away from the public and press during these proceedings. However, various unseen documents from those court proceedings have leaked. One email reveals Xbox head Phil Spencer was considering an acquisition of Mario maker Nintendo and Mortal Kombat 1 publisher Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment (now known as Warner Bros. Games) at one point. 

To say that Starfield is huge is an understatement. There are over a thousand planets and moons to explore, which means traveling to several solar systems. More of the worlds you’ll discover are barren, though they have useful resources to help you craft. A few rare planets will hold life, and some will even be hospitable enough for humans to settle permanently.

If there's one nearly universal complaint about Starfield, it's that the map is close to useless. Luckily, there's now an online resource providing the interactive maps that probably should've been in the game to begin with.

Paradox Interactive has announced that its upcoming Star Trek RTS, Star Trek: Infinite, will be releasing for PC and MacOS on October 12. 

Stray, the smash-hit feline simulator platformer, is getting an animated film adaptation. As per Entertainment Weekly, Annapurna Animation is kickstarting its next lineup of movies, starting with 2022's award-winning title from BlueTwelve, wherein you play as a drone-equipped ginger cat lost in the neon-lit alleys of a forgotten cyber city, trying to get back home while dodging machines and robots. Robert Baird, who co-leads the division with Andrew Millstein, described the film's style as having a ‘hopepunk' vibe that relies on optimism as a weapon, with the latter adding that Stray was the first pick simply because it was ‘wildly popular.'

Starfield is a vast game taking place across multiple stars and systems, and despite its vision of a highly technological future, there are no maps for cities, planets, or interior areas – anywhere. We can tell you where all the good stuff is in our handy Walkthrough, but you might not want to follow a guide page-by-page. That's what maps are for! While much of the planet surfaces, bases, and spaceships are randomly generated, the core settlements of Starfield, with their many vendors and side quests, are set locations and remain static across all players' games. We’ve got Starfield settlement maps right here:

It’s awfully hard to keep track of where all the action is happening on fantasy TV shows, and Prime Video’s Wheel of Time is no exception. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, with characters running from one city to the next and the story jumping between them; it’s just easy to get lost. Thankfully, Wheel of Timelines has an interactive map that can help guide you through the world of The Westlands.

[ Ed. note: This ranked list is being continually updated as Netflix adds more interactive specials.]